Cabinet for storing and handling groceries, sugar, &amp;c.



No. 638,569. Patented Dec. 5, I899. E. A. EUSTIGE & V. 0. BAIB.

CABINET FOR STORING AND HANDLlNG GROGEBIES, SUGAR, 8w.

(Application filed Apr. 25, 1899.)

(N o M o d e I UNITED STATES PATENT FFIGE.

EDWARD A. EUSTIOE AND VICTOR 0. DATE, OF NEWTON, IOWA.

CABINET FOR STORING AND HANDLING GROCERIES', SUGAR, 86C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,569, dated December 5, 1899.

Application filed April 25, 1899.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD A. EUSTIOE and VICTOR O. BAIR, citizens of the United States, residing at Newton, in the county of Jasper and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Cabinet for Storing and Handling Groceries, Sugar, &c., of which the following is a specification.

Our object is to provide a portable,strong, durable, and ornamental cabinet especially adapted for storing, protecting, and displaying sugar and like articles of merchandise in bulk and to facilitate taking small quantities therefrom at intervals as required to accommodate customers in a retail grocery store.

Our invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in our claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cabinet closed and all the interior concealed. Fig. 2 shows one of the closed sides removed and the forms and relative positions of interior parts. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the rear and top portion of the cabinet and a portion of the operative mechanism for elevating sugar, &c., from a hopper in the lower part of the cabinet to the upper portion, from which it is to be removed in small quantities.

The letter A designates the bottom, A the top, and B the front, of the lower portion of the cabinet adapted to be divided in such a manner as to produce a hopper B and compartments for drawers under the hopper. The back 0 and parallel sides D extend from the bottom A to the top F of the upper portion of the cabinet. The front of the top portion is in the form of a window-frame H with fixed glass, through which sugar stored in the top compartment will be visible as required to display the contents of the cabinet without exposing the merchandise to the atmosphere, dust, or insects. The front end portion A of the top A of the lower portion is hinged and adapted to be turned up, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, to admit sugar to be filled into the hopper 13 from whence it can be elevated into the top of the upper compartment and to fall down to be removed therefrom in small quantities at a time as wanted. An inclined fixed bottom H in the Serial to. 714,378. on; model.)

upper compartment supports the bulk of the sugar, and a slide J, adjustably connected with the inner edge of the inclined fixed bottom by means of clamping-screws or in any suitable way, regulates the descent of the sugar or other merchandise upon the flat top A of the hopper B A curtain J composed of rigid slats flexibly connected, is fitted at its ends into grooves formed in the sides of the cabinet in such a manner that it can be lifted and placed under the fixed bottom H so that a person can reach in to adjust the slide J and also by means of a grocers scoop take out sugar that has descended from the upper compartment and accumulated on the closed top of the hopper, as indicated in Fig. 2.

K is the driving-shaft in bearings at the front and rear of the lower portion of the cabinet. It has a crank-handle K at its front end and a sprocket-wheel m at its other end portion. A second or mating wheel m is journaled in the fork of a bearer N, that is adjustably connected with the top F of the up per compartment by means of a screw and winged nut, as shown, or in any suitable way, so that the tension of an endless chain and bucket carrier 0 can be thereby regulated and supported. A fixed wall 8 incloses the endless bucket carrier, and to prevent the con- 'tents of the buckets from falling back into the hopper the elevator is inclined, as shown in Fig. 3, so that each bucket r as it is in.- verted at the top will empty its contents into the upper compartment. By rotating the shaft K the endless bucket carrier will thus elevate sugar from the hopper. Movable drawers B and B are fitted in the space under the hopper 13 for placing a grocers scoop, paper bags, &c., therein to be retained in convenient position for use whenever desired.

From the foregoing description of the construction, arrangement, combination, and function of each part the practical operation and utility of our complete invention will be readily understood by persons familiar with the retail grocery business, and

What we therefore claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent therefor, is-

1. In a cabinet for storing and displaying sugar, &c., a lower compartment containing a hopper, an upper compartment having a closed bottom, an endless bucket carrier extending from the hopper to the top portion of the upper compartment and means for operating the bucket carrier for the purposes stated.

2. In a cabinet for storing, displaying and retailing sugar, &c., therefrom, a lower portion having a hopper, a fixed top over the hoppar and a portion of the top hinged for gaining access to the hopper, a compartment for sugar above the hopper having an inclined fixed bottom and an adjustable slide for regulating the descent of sugar from the inclined bottom, a boxing for an elevator extending from the hopper to the top portion of the upper compartment, an endless bucket carrier in the boxing, and means for operating the endless bucket carrier for the purposes stated.

3. In a cabinet for storing, displaying and handling sugar, &c., a lower compartment containing a hopper and a fixed top on the hopper, an upper compartment having transparent glass in its front, an inclined fixed bottom at some distance above the fixed top of the hopper, a movable curtain at the lower portion of the front wall of the upper compartment, a boxing for an elevator extending from the hopper to the top portion of the upper compartment, an endless bucket carrier in said boxing and means for operating the bucket carrier, arranged and combined in the manner set forth for the purposes stated.

t. In a grocers cabinet, a lower compartment having a hopper 13*, a fixed cover A extended over the hopper, a portion A of the cover hinged, an upper compartment having a transparent front H, an inclined fixed bottom H an adjustable slide J, a flexible curtain J a boxing .9 extending from the hopper to the top port-ion of the upper compartment, a shaft K having a handle K at its front end and a sprocket-wheel m at its rear end, an adjustable wheel-bearer N at the top of the said boxing and an endless bucket carrier and conveyer, all arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth for the purposes stated.

5. Agrocers cabinet for storing, displaying and handling sugar, &c., comprising a lower portion containing a hopper and drawers under the hopper, a fixed cover over the hopper, a hinged cover-section giving access to the hopper, a compartment above the hopper having a glass front, an inclined fixed bottom, an adjustable slide at the lower edge portion of the fixed inclined bottom, an adjustable curtain to an opening under the glass front, an elevator trunk or boxing extending from the hopper to the top portion of the upper compartment, an endless carrier in said boxing and means for actuating the endless carrier, all arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth for the purposes stated.

EDWARD A. EUSTICE.

VICTOR O. BAIR.

Witnesses:

HARRY B. ALLFREE, THOMAS G. ORWIG. 

